Foy
New Member
Several weeks ago we found this Red Foot in our front yard. It came right up to us so it's obviously used to people but we could see that it had been abused. It looks to me like a large dog used it as a chew toy over an extended period. As you can see from the photo many of the shell plates are broken off and in places the underlying bone is loose. The front of it's shell is like a saw tooth edge rather than being smooth as it should. It's also got some degree of pyramiding. It's living in our large dog yard(no dog) and is eating like a pig from the lists of foods I've fond here. It is pooping but I haven't seen it drink yet. Mainyis stays hidden in the bushes although, my grandson insisted, it has a large concrete block house that it uses every now and then.
I don't know what to do for it and haven't found a vet who knows anything about tortoises.
Can or should I grind the "teeth" off the edge of its shell?
Is there anything I can do for the missing plates on its shell?
How old would you guess it is?
I'm sure it's a male as the bottom is very flat.
The humidity here is south Florida is high, it has a large flat pool and I soak the bushes where it hides with the hose every few days.
I really wan to do right by this tortose, I figure it's had a hard life up until now so any advice will be appreciated.
Today it came into our screen porch while we were out there talking. I carried it back to the grass but a few minutes later it was under our feet! I'dlike to think that it's coming out of it's shell, so to speak!
I don't know what to do for it and haven't found a vet who knows anything about tortoises.
Can or should I grind the "teeth" off the edge of its shell?
Is there anything I can do for the missing plates on its shell?
How old would you guess it is?
I'm sure it's a male as the bottom is very flat.
The humidity here is south Florida is high, it has a large flat pool and I soak the bushes where it hides with the hose every few days.
I really wan to do right by this tortose, I figure it's had a hard life up until now so any advice will be appreciated.
Today it came into our screen porch while we were out there talking. I carried it back to the grass but a few minutes later it was under our feet! I'dlike to think that it's coming out of it's shell, so to speak!